San Diego, CA - April 14: Jackson Merrill #3 of the San Diego Padres hits a single in the third inning as Cal Raleigh #29 of the Seattle Mariners looks on at Petco Park on April 14, 2026 in San Diego, CA. (Photo by K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images)
Seattle Mariners (8-10) at San Diego Padres (11-6), April 15, 2026, 6:40 p.m. PST
Don’t troll in your comments; create conversation rather than destroying it
Remember Gaslamp Ball is basically a non-profanity site
Out of respect to broadcast partners who have paid to carry the game, no mentions of “alternative” (read: illegal) viewing methods are allowed in our threads
Apr 15, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager hits a double against the Los Angeles Angels during the eighth inning at Globe Life Field. All MLB players will be wearing the number 42 on Jackie Robinson Day to commemorate Robinson making his major league debut in 1947. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Right before the Blackhawks took the ice for their final game of the season, Chicago Blackhawks Chairman and CEO Danny Wirtz announced that General Manager Kyle Davidson has received a contract extension.
Wirtz made this announcement on a segment in which he appeared on CHSN's pregame show.
This is a chance for Davidson to have some security ahead of the most important summer of this current Blackhawks rebuild. So far, the very top of the Blackhawks organization is confident in the work that Davidson has already done and his plan for the future.
"Kyle's done everything we've expected of him," Danny Wirtz said of Kyle Davidson. "When he got the job, his first task was to rebuild our prospect pool. If you remember, our cupboard was pretty bare. We didn't have a lot coming in. He very systematically, very confidently built that to where I believe right now we have the best prospect pool in the NHL. Many of those prospects are now actually NHL players, contributing and highly impactful on our team."
It hasn't translated to winning on the ice at the NHL level yet, but the comments about the prospect farm are correct. The Blackhawks have a top-three system in the NHL, and many media organizations rank them number one.
Davidson was extended for executing the first part of the rebuild, which was replenishing the franchise with young players to build around. Now, the aforementioned security will allow him to take the next step with the foundation that he's built.
“I am extremely grateful for the support that Danny Wirtz has shown me these last four years," Davidson said of the extension. "His commitment to our shared vision for the future of the Blackhawks has been vital to the success we’ve seen as we’ve worked to build our roster into a team that can compete for years to come. We still have lots of work to do as we strive to bring the Stanley Cup back to Chicago, and I’m excited to continue building a team that our fans can be proud of.”
Danny Wirtz made it very clear that he expects the team to take the next step towards being a contender. He did say that "he wasn't hired to be the prospect GM". Now that he has filled the cupboard, it's time to win.
"We believe he has the right insight, the right team around him, and the belief he can continue to build a championship team," Wirtz said.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
Mets right-hander Christian Scott took the mound for Triple-A on Wednesday and had a second consecutive solid start for Syracuse.
After giving up some early runs, Scott settled in and struck out five in his 5.1 innings of work, retiring the last 11 hitters he faced and 13 of the last 14. The one batter that reached base during that stretch reached on an error.
Scott allowed just two hits and a walk in his outing while throwing 82 pitches (50 strikes), but the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, the Yankees' Triple-A affiliate, made them count. Spencer Jones hit a two-out double following a walk to open the scoring in the first and Ernesto Martinez Jr. tagged the 26-year-old for a solo shot to lead off the second.
From there, Scott faced one over the minimum until he was pulled from the game in the sixth, in line for the loss with Syracuse down 2-0. Regardless, his season ERA dropped from 6.48 to 5.27 over 13.2 innings this season.
Scott missed the entire 2025 campaign after undergoing Tommy John surgery following a big league promotion in 2024. That year, Scott had a 4.56 ERA in nine major league starts and a 2.76 ERA in nine starts in Triple-A.
Christian Scott's final line tonight for Triple-A Syracuse:
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 12: Jared Young #29 of the New York Mets gets set against the Athletics during the game at Citi Field on April 12, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Caean Couto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Prior to tonight’s series finale against the Dodgers, the Mets placed Jared Young on the IL, retroactive to April 13, with a meniscus tear in his left knee. The team later revealed that Young will undergo surgery and is expected to miss six to eight week of action as a result. To take his place on the roster, the team called up MJ Melendez from Triple-A Syracuse. As an unrelated roster move, the team also released reliever Luis García, whom they designated for assignment last week.
Young had seen more playing time since Soto’s injury, picking up some at-bats at first base and the outfield. In 23 plate appearances, he’s posted a .350/.391/.450 slash line with two runs scored, two runs batted in, a 137 wRC+, and a 0.2 fWAR. Looking at tonight’s lineup, the team will go with Brett Baty at first base, an outfield configuration of Tommy Pham in left, Luis Robert Jr. in center, and Carson Benge in right, and the newly-recalled Melendez manning the DH role.
Melendez is coming off a game in which he homered and tripled for Syracuse Mets in an 8-6 victory over the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders on Tuesday night. In all, the 27-year-old outfielder, whom the Mets signed to a one-year, $1.5 million deal over the winter, is hitting .216/.286/.431 with two homers, three runs batted in, and seven runs scored for Syracuse.
CINCINNATI, OHIO - APRIL 14: Willy Adames #2 of the San Francisco Giants runs the bases after hitting a home run during the fifth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on April 14, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The most telling statistic in the San Francisco Giants’ 2-1 loss to the Cincinnati Reds is the two teams’ pitch counts. Four Giants pitchers combined to throw 145 pitches in eight innings. The Reds got through nine innings against the free-swinging Giants in just 111 pitches, an average of 12.3 per inning.
The Giants had seven hits but only one walk, getting their lone run when Willy Adames crushed his third home run of the season in the 5th inning. Cincinnati got only three hits in the game but two of them were solo home runs off Robbie Ray (2-2), which gave the Reds the first game of the series. The defining moment came in the bottom of the 4th, when Reds first baseman Sal Stewart fouled off four pitches before going deep on Ray’s ninth pitch of the at-bat.
The Giants pitchers didn’t make too many mistakes apart from that fastball to Stewart and a hanging slider that Spencer Steer turned into a 401-foot bomb in the 3rd.
Reds starter Brady Singer pitched a solid six innings of one-run ball, striking out only one batter, hitting another, but walking none. That’s less of a challenge with the walk-averse Giants, but it allowed him to get through six innings in only 75 pitches. The Giants never had more than one runner on base at a time Tuesday, thanks to a caught stealing in the first inning and a Matt Chapman GIDP in the 8th.
Both teams had runners erased in the opening frame, with Cincinnati’s Tyler Stephenson throwing out Adames trying to steal and Gold Glover Patrick Bailey gunning down Matt McClain. Perhaps traumatized, neither manager called for a steal the rest of the game.
Adames did crush one in the 5th inning, reaching the second deck in left after sitting on Singer’s sweeper.
But that was it for the Giants offense, besides two singles by Luis Arraez, who went 3-for-4 and raised his batting average to .333. Jung Hoo Lee had a single and a double, but six Giants starters went hitless.
Even the team’s leading hitter, Daniel Susac, couldn’t come through Tuesday. He pinch-hit for Bailey with two outs in the 9th and hit one to the wall, but the ball fell short and lowered his average to .583. What a bum!
The Reds bullpen was excellent. Graham Ashcraft, Tony Santillan, and Emilio Pagan (5 saves) struck out four Giants in three innings, giving up only a single to Arraez and an unintentional-intentional walk to Rafael Devers. Ashcraft was particularly filthy, getting Jared Oliva to whiff on a pitch at least five feet wide of home plate.
SF’s relievers were solid as well, with Keaton Winn and Ryan Walker throwing no-hit innings and Caleb Killian escaping a two-on, no-out jam in the 6th with a strikeout and a timely double play.
It’s the third game in a row that the Giants have scored two runs or fewer. It’s the ninth time in 17 games this season they’ve scored two or fewer and they’re 0-9 in those games.
Tony Vitello may be considering dramatic lineup changes. The most obvious move might come in left field, where Heliot Ramos has two extra-base hits all season, though the team isn’t exactly flush with options. Harrison Bader has struck out in a third of his at-bats. Oliva has one hit this season. Jerar Encarnacion might have the most upside — at least based on exit velocity.
If you can’t hit in the Great American Ballpark, that’s a very bad sign. It’s encouraging for the Giants pitching staff but another rough data point for the sputtering Giants hitters.
Steph Curry has one simple key for the Warriors’ play-in matchup against the Phoenix Suns on Friday.
Spoiler alert: It’s the same X factor that was pivotal in Golden State keeping its season alive on Wednesday, as Curry led a 126-121 comeback win over the Los Angeles Clippers at Intuit Dome.
After a game-high 35 points, Curry explained what it will take for the Warriors to advance out of the play-in tournament and into the NBA playoffs for a matchup with the No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder.
“The same resiliency,” Curry told Allie Clifton of NBA on Prime. “Coach [Steve Kerr] talked about it in the locker room before, these win-or-go-home scenarios, we think we know the team, but you got to be able to withstand the runs and stay in it emotionally, because it was … back and forth all game. And then we got over the hump the last three minutes. So, stick with it; no, it’s not going to be perfect but just try to find a way to win.”
As Curry said, the Clippers delivered several blows throughout the game, but the Warriors fought back each time. And with the game in reach down the stretch, Curry, Al Horford and Draymond Green lifted Golden State over the top.
The Suns likely will go on some runs as well in another win-or-go-home game on Friday, and the Warriors will need to replicate that same mentality to avoid elimination.
Breakup day on Long Island, for the past handful of seasons, came with a theme: We believe in the group.
No matter what the rest of the league, or the stats, or their own fans thought, the Islanders, almost uniformly, insisted on optimism.
Not Wednesday.
Big picture, yes, the organization is in a much better spot than it was a year ago. It’s got an 18-year-old superstar in Matthew Schaefer, a prospect pipeline that looks legitimately promising and real reason to believe there can be a contending team on Long Island in the very near future.
Center Mathew Barzal of the New York Islanders reacts after he gets into a scuffle with defenseman Samuel Girard #49 of the Pittsburgh Penguins during the first period at UBS Arena, Monday, March 30, 2026, in Elmont, NY. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
In the immediate?
“It’s a miserable feeling around here,” Mat Barzal said.
This breakup day was entirely rooted in reality, and the reality is that the Islanders were in a playoff spot for 105 days, then crashed out in epic fashion, losing 10 of their final 14 games and seven of their final eight, while getting their coach fired in the process.
They are still grappling with it, very much in the process of digesting and figuring out how this could have happened and what can be done to ensure it never happens again. But the Islanders wore this one.
“It absolutely sucks,” general manager Mathieu Darche said. “This morning is a terrible morning.”
New York Islanders GM Mathieu Darche speaks at a press conference before the game when the New York Islanders played the Saturday, November 22, 2025 at UBS Arena in Elmont, NY. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Darche, who acted somewhat aggressively in adding Carson Soucy and Ondrej Palat before the Olympic break, then dealing a first-round pick to get Brayden Schenn at the trade deadline, repeatedly acknowledged that the year was a failure because the Islanders missed the playoffs. He did, though, offer some defense for those trades, which have been heavily criticized by the fan base.
“Did we get aggressive a little bit? Yeah. But you know what, I always said I’d rather fail trying than failing to try,” Darche said. “… Palat, Soucy, the acquisition cost was basically nothing. Cause we got some draft picks too. So in a way, those two days, Tsyplakov went out, we brought in Palat, Soucy and a sixth-round pick. We’re a better team, right, because of that.
“Schenn, we were in that position. We wanted to bring, cause we felt like yes, we could have defended better. Let’s bring some veteran guys that can help with that and push it forward. We went 4-1 [in the first five games after the deadline] and the last 10 games, our two leading scorers were [Cal] Ritchie and Schenn.
“So by the end result, yes it’s a failure because we didn’t make the payoffs. But to say that it’s because of those acquisitions, I don’t think that’s the case.”
What exactly is the root cause then? Darche didn’t have a firm answer on that, but he did allude more than once to the fact that the Islanders overperformed their underlying defensive metrics for most of the season. That was at the heart of why Patrick Roy was fired and Pete DeBoer hired with four games left in the season, and the Islanders’ improved shot suppression over those four games was a common talking point.
New York Islanders center Brayden Schenn (10) reacts after scoring a goal past Florida Panthers goaltender Daniil Tarasov in the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, March 28, 2026, in Elmont, N.Y. AP
Things can always change but at least at a glance, the Islanders appear to have somewhat limited flexibility this offseason. Before accounting for any buyouts or injuries, they have $9-10 million in salary cap space, and Darche alluded to “slim pickings” on the free agency market.
There is some opportunity for change given Anders Lee’s expiring contract, and you never know what else could happen. If, say, Auston Matthews asks out of Toronto, maybe Darche steps up and takes a swing, but there’s a whole lot of ground between here and there. Almost certainly, Kyle Palmieri, Alexander Romanov and DeBoer — two injured players who missed most of the season with injury and the new coach — will be three of their biggest “offseason acquisitions.”
“We might have a similar team, we might have a completely different team,” Darche said.
What you can bank on is a shift in identity driven by the coach, and a general manager who will be more than willing to sound out options to change up the group. What that means for the roster composition when the Islanders gather for training camp in September, though, is anyone’s guess.
“The guys who are back need to be prepared come training camp to get to work,” DeBoer said. “Cause we have a lot of work to do in order to get where I believe we need to get to.”
Apr 4, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Keaton Wagler (23) goes to the basket against UConn Huskies guard Silas Demary Jr. (2) in the second half during a semifinal of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
With both the NCAA Tournament and NBA regular season done and dusted, it’s now time to turn our attention to the NBA Draft, where the Dallas Mavericks are set to have multiple first-round picks and three selections in the draft overall. The process over the next few weeks gets a bit murky, but these are the important dates you might want to keep in mind.
Now through April 21st: The NCAA Basketball transfer portal is open. Players do not have to have their destination selected by the 21st, but they must enter the portal by 11:59 p.m. ET on April 21st. You will see several players declare for the draft while leaving the option open to return to school while entering the portal at the same time.
The early entry deadline for underclassmen to declare the NBA Draft is April 24th. Any player who is not a senior must declare for the draft by this date.
The NBA Draft Combine will take place from May 8th through the 17th from Chicago. Most players who declare for the draft but leave open the return to college will make their decision during this time, based off of feedback from NBA teams.
The NBA Draft Lottery is May 10th. There are several tiebreakers that need to be worked out in both the Lottery and the remainder of the first round. The NBA will break those ties on April 20th.
The NCAA’s early entry withdrawal deadline is May 27th, meaning any player that declares for the draft on or before April 24th must decide whether they are staying in the draft or returning to college by this day.
The NBA Draft will take place June 23rd and 24th at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The draft will be televised on ESPN, starting at 7:00 p.m. CT on both nights. The first round of the draft on June 23rd will also be televised on ABC.
NBA Summer League in Las Vegas runs from July 9th through the 19th.
With that housekeeping out of the way, here is a running list of some notable NBA Draft decisions that have been or will need to be made between now and then.
Top end guys expected to declare
Players like Flemings or Acuff might only be available if the Mavericks have some good luck Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
AJ Dybantsa (F, BYU)
Darryn Peterson (G, Kansas)
Cam Boozer (F, Duke)
Kingston Flemings (G, Houston)
Darius Acuff (G, Arkansas)
Brayden Burries (G, Arizona)
It would be a genuine shock if any of these guys came back to school. All six of them should be gone in the top ten selections.
Notables who have already declared
Mikel Brown Jr. is one of the interesting cases of this draft cycle Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
Caleb Wilson (F, UNC)
Keaton Wagler (G, Illinois)
Mikel Brown Jr. (G, Louisville)
Labaron Philon (G, Alabama)
Yaxel Lendeborg (F, Michigan)
Christian Anderson (G, Texas Tech)*
Dailyn Swain (F, Texas)*
Ebuka Okorie (G, Stanford)*
Allen Graves (F, Santa Clara)*
Also entered NCAA Transfer Portal
Juke Harris (F, Wake)*
Also entered NCAA Transfer Portal
Chris Cenac (F, Houston)*
*Legitimate chance that they return to school.
There are some really interesting scenarios here for Dallas, especially with their 30th overall pick. If the Mavericks go guard early, a player like Swain or Graves could be very intriguing with pick 30. Swain is a do it all slashing wing, while Graves translates as a four or small ball five who can step out and shoot. If the Mavericks strike out on guard early, a player like Anderson or Okorie makes much more sense. There are many options here, but we likely won’t know what is fully available until after the May 27th deadline for these guys to return to school.
Yet to make a decision
Tyler Tanner faces an interesting decision in this draft cycle | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Koa Peat (F, Arizona)
I think Peat could use another year of seasoning, but we’ll see if the forward gets the guarantee he’s after.
Nate Ament (F, Tennessee)
Originally thought to be one of the five best players in the class, Ament largely didn’t live up to expectations this year. Could that lead to him returning to school?
Braylon Mullins (F, UConn)
The Elite Eight hero has a legitimate decision to make, as the sharpshooter was much more up and down this year than you’d want.
Mo Krivas (C, Arizona)
Krivas likely falls in the twenties of this draft, whereas he could easily be a lottery guy next year in a weaker class.
Morez Johnson and Aday Mara (bigs, Michigan)
This duo is also in that twenties range. Michigan is operating as if they’re gone, so we’ll see if they do actually come out.
Tyler Tanner (G, Vanderbilt)
Expect to see Tanner declare soon, but there’s a good chance that he returns to Nashville if he doesn’t get a strong guarantee somewhere in the first round.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 9: Stephen Curry (right) and Kristaps Porzingis (left) of Warriors are seen before the NBA game 41 between Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors in San Francisco at Chase Center on April 9, 2026 in San Francisco, California, United States. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images) | Anadolu via Getty Images
Game No. 83 has arrived. The Golden State Warriors are starting the postseason where they ended the regular season: at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, visiting the LA Clippers. It’s a win-or-go-home game for both teams: the loser is eliminated, while the victor will advance to Friday’s road game against the Phoenix Suns.
Thankfully for the Warriors, they’re as healthy as they’ve been in the last three months. Steph Curry, Al Horford, and Kristaps Porziņģis are absent on the injury report, with only one name accompanying the players the team lost to season-ending knee injuries. Though as a reminder, two-way players are not eligible for playoff games, which is why LJ Cryer isn’t listed here (they are, however, allowed to travel with the team and sit on the bench).
Here’s the full injury report for both teams.
Warriors
Out — Quinten Post (right foot injury management)
Post’s foot injury really lingered. He’s only played once since mid-March, and only played a few minutes in that game. He’ll need the Warriors to win — likely at least twice — if he wants to play again in his sophomore year.
Out — Jimmy Butler III (right ACL surgery) Out — Moses Moody (left patellar tendon surgery)
Nothing to note here. We’ve known these two will be out for the rest of the year — and much of next year — for quite a while.
Clippers
Out — Bradley Beal (left hip fracture)
Beal’s first season with the Clippers didn’t go well, as he played just six games before suffering a season-ending injury. He signed a two-year deal with LAC after working a buyout with the Suns, so he’ll get a chance to run it back next year.
Out — Yanic Konan Niederhäuser(right lisfranc ligament tear)
The final pick of the first round in the 2025 draft played exactly half of LA’s games before suffering a season-ending injury.
Probable — Isaiah Jackson (right ankle sprain)
Jackson has played sparingly this year, and hasn’t appeared in a game since March. So if he plays in this game, it’s likely because the outcome has already been decided.
Enjoy the game, Dub Nation! It tips off at 7:00 p.m. PT on Prime Video.
“Both those guys are going to try to come back,” Redick said April 5. “And it’s our job to extend the season so that they can come back.”
The Lakers’ LeBron James is being counted on to keep the team afloat during the first round of the NBA playoffs against the Rockets. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Even with Redick saying Tuesday afternoon that Doncic and Reaves are out “indefinitely” and there won’t be an update on either of their statuses for the remainder of the week, the Lakers’ first-round playoff series schedule against the Rockets gives them the best shot of accomplishing their original goal.
Game 1 on Saturday at Crypto.com Arena (5:30 p.m. tipoff) was already known.
But the league announced Tuesday night that Game 2 is set for April 21 in Los Angeles and Game 3 is scheduled April 24 in Houston — giving the Lakers the maximum amount of time between games for their injury-riddled roster to get closer to whole before what could be a pivotal Game 4 on April 26 at Toyota Center.
There will be another two-day break before a potential Game 5 on April 29 at Crypto.com Arena — almost four weeks after the injuries to Doncic and Reaves — before the series shifts to playing every other day for potential Game 6 (May 1) in Houston and Game 7 (May 3) in Los Angeles.
Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters
The spaced-out nature of the Lakers-Rockets series isn’t surprising — and not because of conspiracy theories that the NBA is favoring the Lakers to give them the best shot they can at getting their star guards back during the first round.
Let’s not forget that the Lakers’ schedule for their first-round playoff series against the Timberwolves — a series Doncic, Reaves and LeBron James were all healthy — followed the same format as this year’s Lakers-Rockets series.
And don’t ignore the fact that the Cavaliers-Raptors matchup also has the same number of two-day breaks (three) before their potential Game 5 as Lakers-Rockets.
The Rockets’ Alperen Sengun and his teammates will try to eliminate the short-handed Lakers in a first-round series. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Nonetheless, the schedule undoubtedly helps the Lakers.
Doncic is attempting to speed up a recovery that typically takes three to six weeks (and on average 35 days) by traveling to Spain to receive special treatment before coming back to the United States on Friday. The average recovery timeline would have Doncic miss the series entirely, even if it lasted seven games. But a combination of the Lakers’ first-round schedule and a sped-up recovery could see Doncic back on the floor in either Game 4 or 5.
And with Reaves’ injury, which is expected to sideline him four to six weeks, about pain management in addition to recovery, a sped-up return in which he’s back on the floor in the earlier part of his recovery window could have him playing as soon as Game 5.
There aren’t any guarantees Doncic and Reaves will be back during the Lakers-Rockets series — let alone be able to play at the MVP-caliber level Doncic was at and the All-Star level Reaves was showing before the injuries.
Reaves’ shooting after practices this week is providing optimism for a return.
More time will be good for Doncic and Reaves, even if some players said they don’t know how the schedule looks, with Rui Hachimura saying Wednesday, “I wasn’t looking at it, I’m not going to lie. … I’m just focused on this first game. So I haven’t really seen it.”
The overlooked benefit of the schedule is how it’ll help the rest of the Lakers as they hope to extend the season so the star guards can return.
Unsurprisingly, the Lakers shot more efficiently from the field after multiple days between games compared with one or zero days.
Hachimura, Deandre Ayton and Jake LaRavia, all of whom will be counted on more offensively to start the series, were more productive offensively with two full days between games during the regular season compared with one or none.
The Lakers’ Deandre Ayton (5) knows more rest will benefit LA during its first-round series against Houston. NBAE via Getty Images
And with Doncic and Reaves sidelined, the rest of the team will have to carry a heavier load — both in terms of minutes played and on-court responsibilities — which becomes more physically taxing the longer a series lasts.
“Just seeing what days are available, getting extra work in,” Ayton said. “What’s the practice like? When do I have a free day for myself? Things like that. So I’m always looking at the schedule.”
During a series that’ll be defined by physicality and the ability to maintain focus when fatigue settles in against a Rockets team that led the league in offensive rebounding for the second year in a row, the Lakers will need as much time to rest, recover and adjust their game plans as they can get.
Playing hard will be necessary. With narrow margins, they don’t have any other options.
“That’s why the playoffs are so hard,” Ayton said. “You play these hard games, but we got enough time to rest up and rejuvenate ourselves to play hard again. That’s why they’re so tough to win games in the playoffs because we’re all alphas, and we bring it 110% every game. It’s gonna be fun.”
Even though the numbers don’t back it up, James is arguably the individual who’ll benefit the most, with the 41-year-old having to be back in the driver’s seat and at the forefront of the Lakers’ playoff hopes until they can get their star ball handlers back — if they’re able to extend the series long enough.
“He’s 41,” Redick said. “So any extra time off is good.”
HOUSTON, TX - AUGUST 30: Houston Astros pitcher Spencer Arrighetti (41) throws a pitch in the top of the first inning during the MLB game between the Los Angeles Angels and Houston Astros on August 30, 2025 at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Leslie Plaza Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Houston Astros (7-11) host the Colorado Rockies (6-11) for the second game of a three game series on Jackie Robinson Day.
RHP Spencer Arrighetti (season debut) will make his first Major League start of the season tonight opposite the 15-year MLB veteran LHP Jose Quitana (0-0, 4.15 ERA) and the Rockies.
TONIGHT’S STARTER: RHP Spencer Arrighetti opened his season at Triple A Sugar Land where he had three strong starts, posting a 1.26 ERA (2ER/14.1IP) with 20 strikeouts, a 0.77 WHIP and a .111 opponent average.
Arrighetti has spent the majority of the last two seasons in Houston, making 36 appearances (35 starts) for the Astros, posting a 4.69 ERA (94ER/180.1IP) with 202 strikeouts in 180.1 innings pitched.
TODAY’S ROSTER MOVE: The Astros have recalled RHP Spencer Arrighetti to make tonight’s start.
In a corresponding move, the Astros placed RHP Cody Bolton on the 15-day IL with right mid-back inflammation (retro to April 13).
JACKIE ROBINSON: Today is Jackie Robinson Day, which will include seminars, pregame activities and charity work at the ballpark tonight.
In recognition of Jackie Robinson Day, the Astros will host a short “Breaking Barriers” forum in the press conference room at 5:30 p.m. with 40 high school-aged kids from the Astros Youth Academy. Brice Matthews, Cam Smith, Taylor Trammell, Dave Clark, Joe Espada and Dana Brown are scheduled to take part.
Also, all pregame activities will be dedicated to Jackie Robinson Day, which will include the Play Ball Call from JC Hartman, the Astros first African American player.
CORREA’S GUESTS: The Correa Family Foundation will make their monthly visit to Daikin Park today.
IF Carlos Correa and his foundation will host young patients battling illness and their families at the game, including having them on the field during batting practice.
HOME-COOKIN’: Tonight is the second game of a six-game homestand for the Astros, in which they’ll host a pair of National League opponents in the Rockies and Cardinals.
The Astros enter tonight’s game 6-2 overall at Daikin Park in 2026.
VS. THE ROCKIES: The Astros were swept by the Rockies last week in a three-game series at Coors Field (April 6-9), which was the Astros first sweep at the hands of the Rockies since a four-game series from May 28-31, 2012.
After the 2012 season, the Astros have not lost a season series against the Rockies, winning seven times and splitting twice.
ROCKING THE ROCKIES: 1B Christian Walker has enjoyed facing the Rockies throughout his career, posting a .334 avg. (123×368) vs. them with 29 HR and 77 RBI with a 1.022 OPS.
His career avg., RBI and OPS vs. COL are his best vs. any club (min. 10g) while his 29 HR match his most against any single opponent (also the Dodgers). His 29 home runs are also tied with 1B Paul Goldschmidt for the most homers against the Rockies among active players.
AGENT SMITH: RF Cam Smith is coming off a strong road trip, in which he hit .324 (12×37) with three doubles, two homers, seven RBI and a .927 OPS in 10 games (nine starts).
Smith continued that hot streak last night, going 1×4 with an RBI and a run scored.
HOT START:Yordan Alvarez is off to a sizzling start for the Astros in 2026.
In the American League, he currently ranks first in extra-base hits (11) and in total bases (42), tied for first in walks (16), and second in RBI (16), OPS (1.175), SLG (.700) and OBP (.475). Alvarez was named American League Player of the Week for March 30-April 5 (fourth time to win the award).
THE ORDER: The Astros have used 18 different batting orders in their 18 games so far this season. Only LF Yordan Alvarez has started every game in the same spot in the batting order (batting second).
FROM THE TRAINER’S ROOM: The Astros currently have 13 players on the Major League Injured List.
Here are updates on a few:
• RHP Cody Bolton (right mid-back inflammation) was placed on the IL today and is currently not throwing.
• RHP Hunter Brown (right shoulder sprain), RHP Tatsuya Imai (right arm fatigue) and RHP Cristian Javier (right shoulder strain) are rehabbing in Houston, but currently not throwing.
• LHP Josh Hader (left biceps tendinitis) tossed a 19-pitch live BP yesterday in Houston.
• RHP Nate Pearson (right elbow surgery) threw 2.0 innings in an extended Spring Training game on Saturday (April 11).
• LHP Bennett Sousa (left oblique strain) is out on a minor league rehab assignment now…he pitched last night for Double A Corpus Christi, working 1.0 scoreless inning on eight pitches (seven strikes).
• OF Zach Dezenzo (right elbow sprain) is rehabbing in Florida…he has progressed to a position specific throwing program while continuing normal hitting.
• OF Jake Meyers (right oblique strain) and SS Jeremy Peña (right hamstring strain) are rehabbing in Houston, focusing on rehabilitation exercises.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Wednesday, April 15, 7:10 p.m. CST
Location: Daikin Park, Houston, TX
TV: Space City Home Network
Streaming: SCHN+
Radio: KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)
Updated Lineup:
Carlos Correa 3B Yordan Alvarez DH Isaac Paredes 2B Christian Walker 1B Cam Smith RF Yainer Diaz C Joey Loperfido CF Nick Allen SS Brice Matthews LF Spencer Arrighetti RHP https://t.co/JL9Cune2Sn
Let’s be honest. The worst thing that can happen with Oubre is that he makes his first 3 because then he thinks he’s all of a sudden good at it, and he keeps shooting.
He did that Wednesday night. Made his first two. Kept firing.
Only this time, he was really good. Better than he’s almost ever been.
Oubre made five of 10 3’s in a 12-point win and to put that in perspective, he’s played in 730 games in his career and this was only the 14th where he took at least 10 3’s and made at least half of them. And only the second in the last two years.
This wasn’t technically a postseason game – play-in games aren’t regular-season games or playoff games – but for all intents and purposes it was a postseason game because it propelled the Eagles into the seven seed and a showdown with the Celtics. It was Oubre’s 25th career “postseason” game and the first time he’s made more than three 3’s. And the first time he’s taken more than four and shot at least 50 percent.
So this was out of nowhere, and on a day when Tyrese Maxey, V.J. Edgecombe and Paul George all shot below 45 percent from the field and were a combined 5-for-20 from 3, the 76ers needed every one of Oubre’s long-range bombs.
I didn’t have Kelly Oubre Jr. making as many 3’s as Maxey, Edgecombe and George in half as many attempts, but here we are.
Oubre finished with 19 points and three rebounds and was plus-19 in the most important game of the year.
In his defense, Oubre has shot better from 3 this year. His 36 percent shooting from 3 wasn’t good – it ranked 112th out of 191 players who took at least 200 3’s this year. But it was a career high and you have to give the guy credit for having his best season shooting 3’s in his 11th season.
And you have to give him credit for coming up huge Wednesday night when there were long stretches where nobody on the team could make a shot.
Oubre’s last 3 was his biggest.
The Magic had cut an 10-point deficit to five, and it was 94-89 76ers with 5:45 to go in the fourth quarter. The game wasn’t quite slipping away, but it was a critical situation.
Quentin Grimes passed to Oubre 28 feet out on the left wing.
Swish.
Ballgame.
Oubre may never make five 3’s in a game again and the 76ers certainly need all the other guys to shoot better just to stay with the mighty Celtics.
But for one night the 76ers won a game in a fashion they’ve only won once before. With Oubre taking double-digit 3’s and making half of them.
This was about the last way anybody could have imagined them beating the Magic. With Oubre going off from deep.
But without Oubre and his unlikely 3’s, the 76ers don’t win this game.
Sam Antonacci’s call up brings some much-needed ability to get on base, and fielding versatility | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Happy Jackie Robinson Day to all who celebrate! The White Sox (6-11) dropped the first game of a three-game set with the Rays Tuesday behind Noah Schultz in his MLB debut, and righthander Sean Burke will take the mound in an effort to create any form of positive momentum for the team. As it stands, the South Siders are 4-6 in their last 10 while holding down last place in the AL Central — 4.5 games behind the first place Twins — and they still hold the worst run differential in all of baseball (-33).
For us White Sox fans, we have more than one person to celebrate today. The White Sox announced this afternoon that utility man Sam Antonacci has finally been called up to the show, and will make his major league debut on the South Side Wednesday. Antonacci has cruised through the minor league system, making an solid first impression in Low-A ball with the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers in 2024 (.333/.471/.432 in 81 ABs), and posted an .837 OPS with the High-A Winston-Salem Dash before being promoted to the Double-A Barons and maintaining a consistent .816 OPS.
After his performance on the international stage with Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic, he came into the 2026 season hot out the gates with the Triple-A Charlotte Knights, slashing .313/.500/.479 with a .979 OPS in 14 games (48 at-bats). Though he’s primarily played the infield throughout his collegiate and amateur career, he’s played 100 innings in left field this season with a 1.000 fielding percentage, and has flashed his arm accuracy by throwing a few runners out — something the South Side outfield desperately needs. Welcome to the show, Sam!
Now for our pitching, Burke has been more consistent in this last two starts compared to opening weekend, sitting at a 2.45 ERA in two April outings, with three earned runs given up on six hits across 11 innings, accompanied by 10 strikeouts and just two walks. A small sample size, of course, but his statcast percentile rankings are almost night and day compared to 2025:
Burke’s 3.60 ERA on the season is nearly double his 1.96 FIP, signaling that the poor defense on balls in play are also hindering his ability to keep runs from crossing the plate. His low 4.8% walk rate also highlights that runners aren’t necessarily getting on base because of Burke alone, and the White Sox rank 7th with 12 errors so far on the year, and that doesn’t include the mental errors that we regularly see in the field. Last season, Burke struggled with batters barreling the ball at a much higher rate (10.4%), though he is down to 2.3% so far in 2026.
A week spot, however, is that he often gives up a lot of pulled fly balls, which could be trouble with the wrong batter, especially with power hitters such as Junior Caminero, Jonathan Aranda, and Yandy Díaz. Here’s how the Rays will line ‘em up today:
Old friend alert! Righthander Jesse Scholtens will make his first start of the season, and second appearance in 2026, tossing 4 2/3 scoreless innings behind the starting pitcher to finish the game. Scholtens was claimed off of waivers by Tampa Bay last August after he was designated for assignment by the White Sox following his rehab assignment from Tommy John surgery. In two outings with the Rays last season (8 1/3 innings), he allowed seven runs (five earned) on nine hits, including one home run. Scholtens had an excellent 31.6% strikeout rate last season, and was able to get batters to chase, though his one outing this year is a bit too small of a sample size to see how he will progress throughout the season.
Tonight’s lineup construction is another Will Venable classic: seemingly picking lineups out of a hat to see if anything works better. For whatever reason, Andrew Benintendi is leading off and playing left field, while last night’s leadoff batter has now shifted into the three-spot (Miguel Vargas). Munetaka Murakami at least remains in the two-hole after a pair of walks and a two-run bomb yesterday, but some of the other choices don’t necessarily make sense. For example, on Tuesday, Venable insisted on batting Everson Pereira over Colson Montgomery in the cleanup spot in his first game off of the IL, yet today he is nowhere to be found in the lineup after a three-run homer.
Sam Antonacci will make his debut batting fifth and playing second base in place of Chase Meidroth, who will get a rest day. I’m not worried about where Antonacci is batting in the lineup, but the Sox have been working him in the outfield more a couple months only to roll out a brutal outfield rotation while sitting an everyday player. Trying to understand here, Will, but we are all confused on a daily basis. Normal teams probably aren’t doing a plug-and-play in the lineup everyday, but here we are. I digress.
Another round of storms are set to roll through the Chicagoland area this evening, weather permitting, first pitch will take place at 6:40 p.m. CT. Be sure to tune in for Antonacci’s debut either on CHSN or on the radio via ESPN Chicago AM 1000.
Former Warriors guard Chris Paul still is bitter about his ugly breakup with the Los Angeles Clippers.
So, despite spending the prime of his illustrious 21-year NBA career in the City of Angels, the future Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer was repping the Bay, once again, in spirit on Wednesday night.
Paul, who spent the 2023-24 NBA season with the Warriors, took to his Instagram story after Golden State’s electric 126-121 win in the do-or-die play-in game at Intuit Dome to give the business to the Clippers he once carried.
The classic meme Paul posted is about attending an enemy’s funeral to make sure they’ve truly passed on.
And CP3 sure did tune in to Wednesday night’s thriller to make sure the Clippers went night night for good.
Los Angeles, in case you didn’t know, stunningly and literally sent Paul home early in the 2025-26 NBA season — which was supposed to be his farewell tour — and ultimately dealt him to the Toronto Raptors at the trade deadline; Paul retired before the regular season’s end.
The “Point God” literally played over 400 games with the historically lowly Clippers and helped them become the franchise that now boasts a state-of-the-art arena with a larger footprint in the city that always has been a Lakers town.
So, while Paul might’ve played just 58 games with the Warriors, he surely was loving every second of Golden State’s come-from-behind victory over Los Angeles, which extended the 10th-seeded road team’s lifespan by at least one more game.
Paul seemingly was a proud member of Dub Nation on Wednesday night.
